Drying-machine



DE WITT D.|RW |N. DRYING MACHINE.

. APPLICATION FILED JULY 2|, 1919. 1,329,082. Patented Jan. 27, 1920.

4 SHEETSSHEET I.

TlE-al- DE WITT D. IRWIN. DRYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 21,1919- 1,329,082.

4 SHEETSSHEEI 2- Patented Jan. 27, 1920.

DE WITT D. IRWIN.

DRYING MACHINE. APPucwoN FILED JULY 21.1919.

Patented Jan. 27, 1920.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

' a Mn/wtoz DE Wm 0." IRWIN. DRYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2I, I919. 1,329,082.

Patented Jan. 27, 1920.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DE WI'IT I). IRWIN, OF EAST LIVERPOOL, 01-110, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO EDWIN M. KNOWLES, OF EAST LIVERPOOL, OHIO.

DRYING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 27, 1920.

Original application filed April 14, 1919, Serial No. 289,281. Divided and this application filed Juy 21, 1919. Serial No. 312,444.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, DE WITT D. IRWIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Liverpool, in the county of Columbiana and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drying-Machines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to drying machines and more particularly to those in which the drying is accomplished by carrying the damp material through a tunnel in which currents of air are created and in which the material is usually subjected to heat; and the embodiment which I have shown is intended more particularly for. drying clay pins used in the manufacture of pottery, the present application being a division of my pending United States application Serial No. 289881 filed April 14th, 1919, on a clay pin drying and cutting machine including the drying features herein claimed specifically.

The principal object of the invention is to provide novel means whereby the clay or other material may be dried to the proper extent, regardless of atmospheric conditions, this result being obtained principally by providing the tunnel with closable openings at spaced points and using a housing which is movable along said tunnel for communication with openings at different distances from the discharge end of said tunnel. In connection with the housing, I provide means for creating a current of air longitudinally through the tunnel and by this arrangement, the material may be subjected to the drying operation for any required length of time.

A further obje t is to provide a novel arrangement of heating coils between the closable openings of the tunnel and the carrying means for the damp material, said coils serving to heat the air entering the tunnel when any of said openings are used for air admission.

Another object is to provide a variable speed drivev mechanism for the conveyor which carries the damp material through the tunnel. By relatively adjusting the speed of the conveyer and the position of the housing above mentioned, the material may be dried to the exact degree required.

WVith the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed, the descriptive matter being supplemented by the accompanying drawings which form a part of this application.

Figures 1 and 1 illustrate a side elevation of a machine construited in accordance with my invention, showing the housing in full lines near the discharge end of the tunnel and in dotted lines at the other end thereof.

Figs. 2 and 2 represent a top plan View of the machine.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the discharge end of the tunnel and associated parts.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the plane of line 4- of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section through the housing and a portion of the tunnel, on the plane of line 55 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse section on the plane of line 66 of Fig. 1

In carrying out my invention, I provide a tunnel 1; employ an endless or other suit able conveyer 2 for carrying the damp material therethrough; provide said tunnel with closable openings 3 at longitudinally spaced points; mount a housing l for movement longitudinally of the tunnel for communication with the openings 3 at different distances from the discharge end of the tunnel, and provide means such as a fan 5 for creating currents of air through the tunnel and housing; and prefer also to provide a variable speed drive mechanism 6 for the conveyor 2, and to employ heating soils 7 in the tunnel 1 between the openings 3 and the conveyer.

The tunnel 1' is preferably in the form of a horizontally elongated casing formed of tongued and grooved material provided with an asbestos or other insulating lining 8, and in most instances I support said tunnel on a suitable frame structure 9. The openings 3 are by preference located in the 'top of the tunnel and their closures 10 are in most cases in the form of hinged doors. These (lO0IS may be opened for communication with the interior of the housing 4 as depicted in Fig. 5, or to allow the admission of air to the tunnel, and in most cases I prefer to provide at least one vertical side of said tunnel with longitudinally spaced closable openings 11 which may be used as required for additional ventilation, according to atmospheric conditions.

The conveyer 2 may be ,of the endless chain type as shown, being trained around sprockets 12 and 13 at the ends of the tunnel, said sprockets 12 being driven by any preferred connections from the variable speed drive 6. and a suitable clutch 14- may be provided for stopping and starting the .conveyer at will. The upper reach of the conveyer 2 passes through the tunnel 1 and the lower reach thereof may well be supported on transverse shafts 15 having sprockets 16 on which the conveyer chains rest. By this arrangement, I may take power from any of the shafts 15 to drive a suitable cutter 17 which may be located :within the tunnel to cut the clay or other material into desired lengths at the proper stage of the drying operation. The cutter may be moved to different points along the tunnel for cutting at the most advantageous time but the present application does not deal with the cutting mechanism and hence no further description thereof will be given. It may be stated however that in addition to the functions above assigned to the open ings 3, they are instrumental in inserting and removing the cutter 17.

The housing 4- may be of any adequate construction but is preferably provided with an open bottom for communication with the openings 3 and with an open end 18 at which the fan 5 is located. This fan may be driven in any suitable manner, as by a belt 19 from an overhead shaft 20, and this shaft may well be rotated by the mechanism 6. The housing 4 may be moved to different positions along the tunnel and secured by any adequate means. I have shown depending lugs 21 and set screws 22 for this purpose, but in some cases the housing might well be bolted down to the side rails 23 of the frame structure 9. By adjusting the housing 4 along the tunnel 1 and admitting air to said tunnel at suitable points. the drying operation will be effectively performed and may be carried on for any required length of time, such time varying according to atmospheric conditions. For instance. on adamp day, the clay or the like must be subjected to the drying operation for a greater length of time than on a dry hot day, but in all in stances, the weather conditions may be overcome by making the proper adjustment of the housing 4. by admitting the air to the tunnel at the proper points. and by varying the speed of the conveyer 2 to move the mat a either slowly or rapidly through the tunnel.

The heating coils 7 may be moved to different points along the tunnel and they may be removably supported in the latter by transverse pipes 24 or other suitable means, and the ends of the coils are removably connected by unions or the like 25 to pipes 26 which carry the heating medium to and from them. These pipes may be provided with suitable valves 27 for controlling the travel of steam, hot water or other heating medium. The coils are also instrumental in drying the clay or other material and by selective use of said coils, the heat may be supplied at the most advantageous points, or by using all of the coils the tunnel will be heated throughout. I prefer to use the coils 7 located between the openings 3 and the conveyer 2, in order to heat the air entering through such openings, and in most cases I construct said coils in twenty foot lengths. I wish it understood however that the size and construction of the coils is immaterial and that in some forms of the machine their use might be dispensed with.

In operation, the conveyer 2 is driven at the proper rate of speed and the material to be dried is carried throu h the tunnel thereby. lVhen clay pins and the like are being dried. they are preferably supported on the usual pin boards 28. By properly positioning the housing 4, opening a suflicient number of the air inlet doors. supplying heat to the tunnel at the most advantageous location and driving the conveyer 2 at a suitable speed, the material may be dried to the eX- act degree required. The machine has for some months been in actual use and has proven hi hly efficient and in e ery way desirable, and on account of their proven merit. t e details disclosed are preferably followed. I wish it understood however that with n the scope of the invention as claimed. the machine may be incorporated in nu erous forms other than that shown.

I claim:

1. In adrying machine, a tunnel having closable openings, means for carrying the damp material to be dried through said tunnel, and an air current generating housing movable to different positions along said tunnel for communication with said openings at different distances from the end of the tunnel, whereby the material may be subjected to the air current for any required length of time. i

2. In a drying machine, a tunnel, means for carrying the damp material to be dried through said tunnel, the top of said tunnel having closable openings, heating coils in said tunnel between said openings and said carrying means, and an air current generating housing movable along said tunnel for communication with said openings at different distances from the end of the tunnel.

3. In a drymg machine, an elongated. cas- Ill) ing having longitudinally spaced closable openings in its top, means for carrying the damp material to be dried through said tunnel, a housing resting on said casing and having an open bottom for communication with said openings, and means for generating a current of air through said housing and through said casing, said housing being movable longitudinally on said casing to different positions "for communication with said openings at different distances from the end of the casing, whereby the clay may be subjected to the air current for the required length of time.

i. In a drying machine, a tunnel having closable openings, means for carrying the damp material through said tunnel, a housing movable to different positions along said tunnel for communication with said openings at difierent distances from the end of the tunnel, means for creating a current of air through the tunnel and housing, and

neans for driving said carrying means at different speeds.

5. In a drying machine, a tunnel having closable openings, means for carrying the damp material through said tunnel, a housing movable to different positions along said tunnel for communication with said openings at dili'erent distances from the end of the tunnel, means for creating a current of air through the tunnel and housing, heating means in said tunnel between said closable openings and said carrying means, whereby to heat and dry any air admitted through said openings, and means for driving said carrying means at different speeds.

6. In a drying machine, a horizontally elongated casing and a frame structure sup porting the same in an elevated position, an endless conveyer whose upper reach passes through said casing to carry the damp material therethrough, a housing resting on and movable along said casing, the casing top having closable openings and said housing having an open bottom for communication with any of said openings, and means for generating a current 01 air through said tunnel and housing.

7. In a drying machine, a horizontally elongated casing and a frame structure supporting the same in an elevated position, an endless conveyer whose upper reach passes through said casing to carry the damp material therethrough, a housing resting on and movable along said casing, the casing top having closable openings and said housing having an open bottom for communication with any of said openings, means for generating a current of air through said housing and casing, and means for driving said conveyer at different speeds.

S. In a drying machine, a horizontally elongated casing and a frame structure supporting the same in an elevated position, an endless conveyer whose upper reach passes through said casing to carry the damp material therethrough, a housing resting on and movable along said casing, the casing top having closable openings and said housing having an open bottom for communication with any of said openings, means for generating a current or" air through said casing and said housing, and heating means between said closable openings and said conveyer.

9. In a drying machine, a horizontally elon ated casing and a frame structure supporting the same in an elevated position, an endless conveyer whose upper reach passes through said casing to carry the damp ma terial therethrough, a housing resting on and movable along said casing, the casing top having closable openings and said hous ing having an open bottom for communication with any of said openings, means for creating a current of air through said casing and said housing, heating means between said closable openings and said conveyer, and means ior driving said conveyer at different speeds.

10. In a drying machine, an elongated casing having longitudinally spaced closable openings in its top and similarly spaced closable openings in at least one vertical side, means for carrying the damp material to be dried through said tunnel, a housing resting on said casing and having an open bottom for communication with said openings, and means for generating a current of air through said housing and through said casing, said housing being movable longitudinally on said casing to different positions for communication with said openings at different distances from the end of the casing, whereby the clay may be subjected to the air current for the required length of time.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

DE WITT D. IRWIN. 

